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No. 2 OF "THE LYAL SERIES" 

PRACTICAL 

PSYCHOMANCY AND 
CRYSTAL GAZING 

A COURSE OF LESSONS ON 

THE PSYCHIC PHENOMENA OF DISTANT 

SENSING, CLAIRVOYANCE, PSY- 

CHOMETRY, CRYSTAL 

GAZING, ETC* 

CONTAINING 

Practical Instruction, Exercises, Directions, etc., capable 

of being understood, mastered and demonstrated 

by any person of average intelligence 

CONDENSED INTO A POCKET-SIZED VOLUME 
AND PUBLISHED AT A POPULAR PRICE 



Price (postage free) only 50 cents 



PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY 

THE LYAL BOOK CONCERN 

P. O. BOX 769, CHICAGO, ILL, 



( Practical Psychomancy ) 



iw Copies necu .^ ' 

MAY 14 1908 
®M* xx*" 



Copyright 1907, by 
THE FIDUCIARY PRESS. 

Copyright 1908, by 
THE LYAL BOOK CONCERN. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



NOTICE — This* book is protected by 
Copyright and simultaneous publication, in 
Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and 
other countries. All foreign rights re- 
served. 



Table of Contents 



Page 
Lesson I — The Nature of Psychomancy 5 

Lesson II — How to Develop Yourself 15 

Lesson III— Simple Psychomancy . : 27 

Lesson IV— The Astral Tube 36 

Lesson V — Psychometry 41 

Lesson VI— Crystal Gazing 45 

Lesson VII— Astral Projection 51 

Lesson VIII — Space Psychomancy 59 

Lesson IX — Past Time Pyschomancy 68 

Lesson X — Future Time Psychomancy 76 

Lesson XI— Dream Psychomancy 84 



THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 



LESSON I. 
THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY. 



THE term "Psychomancy (pronounced, "sy-ko- 
man-see"), is derived from two Greek words, 
, * the first "psycho," meaning "the soul; the 
mind; the understanding" (and generally used to 
indicate "psychic" or unusual powers of the soul or 
mind) ; the second word, "mancy" meaning "to di- 
vine; to foresee, or foreknow; to detect secret 
things," — and in occult parlance, "to sense," or "to 
receive impressions by the Astral Senses." So the 
word, as we use it, may be said to mean "Psychic 
Sensing," and in this work will be so used. The 
word "Psychomancer" means "one practicing Psy- 
chomancy;" and the word "Psychomantic" means 
"relating to Psychomancy." 

The word "Clairvoyance" is frequently used by 
people to designate some of the phases of Psycho- 
mancy, but strictly speaking this term is incorrect 
when used in this sense, the true occult meaning of 
the word "Clairvoyance/' being "transcendental vis- 
ion, or the perception of beings on another plane 
of existence — the seeing of disembodied souls, ele- 
mentals, etc." And so, in this work, we shall con- 
sider the true phenomena of Clairvoyance, as distinct 
from that of Psychomancy. 



PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



In this work, we shall regard as the true phe- 
nomena of Psychomancy, all the various phenomena 
known as Psyehometry; Crystal Gazing; Perceiving 
Distant Scenes; a perception of Past Events, and 
Indication of Future Events ; either in the full wak- 
ing state ; the state of reverie ; or the state of dreams. 

And, so this work will examine, consider, and ex- 
plain, the various phases of phenomena above indi- 
cated — in short, the phenomena of "sensing" objects 
by means of Astral Senses , omitting the phenomena 
of Clairvoyance, or seeing disembodied souls, etc., 
which we regard as belonging to a different phase 
of the general subject, and which require special 
consideration and examination. 

The majority of works upon these lines begin by 
an elaborate attempt to "prove" the reality of the 
phenomena in question. But we shall not fall into 
this error, for such we regard it. The time for the 
necessity of such proof is past. The records of the 
Societies for Psychical Research are full of proofs, 
and evidence, which are as full, complete and strong 
as ever required by any court to hang or clear a man. 
And the book shelves of the libraries are full of other 
books, giving like proof. And, for that matter, this 
work is not written to convince people of the truth 
of this phenomena — it is intended for those who 
have already convinced themselves of its reality, 
but who wish for specific information regarding 



THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 



its nature, manner of manifestation, etc. Where we 
quote instances of the manifestation of some form 
of Psychomantic phenomena, in this work, we do so 
simply to illustrate the characteristics of some par- 
ticular form of the phenomena, and not as corrobo- 
rative proof. With this explanation, we propose 
plunging right into the main subject itself. 

There have been many attempted explanations of, 
and theories regarding the phenomena of Psycho- 
mancy, some of which are more or less plausible, 
while others are quite visionary, "wild," and fantas- 
tic. In this work, we shall pay no attention to those 
more or less ingenious "guesses" of the theorists, 
but shall, instead, give you plainly, clearly, and sim- 
ply, the time-honored teachings of the advanced 
Occultists which teachings we believe to be the 
Truth, tested and tried by centuries of investigation, 
and experiment. 

THE ASTRAL SENSES. 

The Occult Teachings inform us that in addition 
to the Five Physical Senses possessed by man, viz: 
Seeing; Feeling; Hearing; Tasting; and Smelling; 
each of which has its appropriate sense organ, every 
individual is also possessed of Five Astral Senses, 
which form a part of what is known to Occultists 
as the Astral Body. These Astral Senses, which are 
the astral counterparts of the five physical senses, 



PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



operate upon what Occulists call the Astral Plane, 
which is next above the Physical Plane, in the 
Sevenfold Scale of Planes. Just as do the Physical 
Senses operate upon the Physical Plane, so do the 
Astral Senses operate upon the Astral Plane. 

By means of these Astral Senses, one may sense 
outside objects without the use of the physical 
senses usually employed. And it is through this 
sensing by these Astral Senses, that the phenomena 
of Psychomancy becomes possible. 

By the employment of the Astral Sense of See- 
ing, the Psychomancer is able to perceive occur- 
rences, scenes, etc., at a distance sometimes almost 
incredibly far; to see through solid objects; to see 
records of past occurrences in the Astral Ether; and 
to see Future Scenes thrown ahead in Time, like the 
shadows cast by material objects — "coming events 
cast their shadows before," you have heard. By the 
use of the Astral Sense of Hearing, he is able to 
sense sounds over immense distances and often after 
the passage of great periods of time, for the Astral 
vibrations continue for many years. 

The Astral senses of Taste and Smell are seldom 
used, although there are abundant proofs of their ex- 
istence. The Astral Sense of Feeling enables the 
Psychomancer to become aware of certain occur- 
rences on the Astral Plane, and to perceive impres- 
sions, mental and otherwise, that are being mani- 



THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 



fested at a distance. The Astral Sense of Feeling 
may be explained as being rather a sense of "Aware- 
ness," than of a mere "Feeling," inasmuch as the 
Psychomancer, through its channel, becomes "aware" 
of certain occurrences, other than by Astral Sight or 
Hearing, and yet which is not "Feeling" as the word 
is used on the Physical Plane. It may be well called 
"Sensing" for want of a better name, and manifests 
in a vague consciousness or "awareness." But still 
we must not overlook the fact that there are many 
instances of true "feeling," on the Astral Plane, for 
instances, cases where the Psychomancer actually 
''feels" the pain of another, which phenomena is 
commonly known as "sympathetic pains;" "taking 
on the condition," etc., etc., and which are well 
known to all investigators as belonging to the phe- 
nomena of the Astral Senses. 

THE ASTRAL BODY. 

But, to understand the Astral Senses, one must 
be made acquainted with the existence of that which 
Occultists know as "The Astral Body." There is no 
point in the Occult Teachings better established; 
longer held ; or more thoroughly proven than that of 
the existence of the Astral Body. This teaching of 
the Ancient Occultists is being corroborated by the 
experiments, and investigations of the Psychic Re- 
searchers of the present day. 



10 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

The Astral Body, belonging to every person, is an 
exact counterpart of the perfect physical body of the 
person. It is composed of fine ethereal matter, and 
is usually encased in the physical body. In ordinary 
cases, the detaching of the Astral Body from its phy- 
sical counterpart is accomplished only with great dif- 
ficulty, but in the case of dreams; great mental 
stress; and under certain conditions of occult de- 
velopment, the Astral Body may become detached 
and sent on long journeys, traveling at a rate of speed 
greater than that of light waves. On these journeys 
it is always connected with the physical body by 
a long filmy connecting link. If this link were to 
become broken, the person would die instantly, but 
this is an almost unheard of occurrence in the ordinary 
planes of action. The Astral Body exists a long time 
after the death of the physical body, but it disinte- 
grates in time. It sometimes hovers around the rest- 
ing place of the physical corpse, and is mistaken for 
the "spirit" of the deceased person, although really 
it is merely a shell or finer outer coating of the soul. 
The Astral Body of a dying person is often projected 
to the presence of friends and loved ones a few mo- 
ments before the physical death, the phenomenon 
arising from the strong desire of the dying person to 
see and be seen. 

The Astral Body frequently travels from its phy- 
sical counterpart, in Psychomantic phenomena, and 



THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 11 

visits scenes far distant, there sensing what is oc- 
curring. It also leaves the body during what are 
known as Psychomantic dreams; or under the in- 
fluence of anaesthetics; or in some of the deeper 
phases of hypnosis ; when it visits strange scenes and 
places, and often holds mental conversation with 
other Astral Bodies, or else with disembodied en- 
tities. The jumbled and distorted recollections of 
these dreams are occasioned by the brain not having 
received perfect impressions transmitted to it, by 
reason of lack of training, development, etc., the re- 
sult being like a blurred or distorted photographic 
plate. 

In order to intelligently grasp the underlying 
principles of the phenomena of Psychomancy, and 
its allied subjects, you must familiarize yourself 
with the truth concerning the Astral Senses, which 
we have just stated. Unless you understand and 
accept this truth and fact, you will not be able to 
grasp the principles underlying the phenomena in 
question, but will be lost in the quagmire of idle 
theories, and fantasic "explanation" hazarded by 
investigators of psychic phenomena who have not 
made themselves acquainted with the Occult Teach- 
ings which alone give the student an intelligent key 
to the mysteries of the Astral Plane. 



12 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

THE THREE CLASSES. 

The phenomena of Psychomancy, etc., may be 
grouped into three classes, each being produced by 
its own special class-cause. In either or all cases, 
the impressions are received by and through the 
Astral Senses, but there are three distinct ways in 
which, and by which, these impressions are re- 
ceived. These ways, which we shall now proceed 
to consider in detail, may be classified under the 
following terms: 

(i) Sensing by the "quickening" of one's Astral 
Senses sufficient to perceive more clearly the etheric 
vibrations or currents; the auric emanations of per- 
sons and things; and similar phases of Psycho- 
mancy, but which does not include the power to 
sense occurrences happening in distant places; nor 
the power to sense the records of the past, or to re- 
ceive indications of the future. (See Lesson III.) 

(2) Sensing by means of the "Astral Tube," 
erected in the Ether by the operation of one's Will 
or Desire, and which acts as a Psychic "telescope," 
or "microscope," with "X Ray" features. (See 
Lesson IV.) 

(3) Sensing by means of the actual projection of 
one's own Astral Body to the distant scene. (See 
Lesson VII.) 



THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY 13 

CLAIRAUDIENCE. 

"Clairaudience" is a term sometimes used to indi- 
cate Astral Hearing. Some writers on this subject 
treat "Clairaudience" as a separate class of phe- 
nomena. But we fail to see the distinction they 
make. It, of course, employs a different Astral 
Sense from that generally employed, but both are 
Astral Senses functioning on the Astral Plane, just 
as the physical senses of Seeing and Hearing func- 
tion on the Physical Plane. And, more important, 
both forms of Astral Sensing are subject to the 
same laws and rules. In other words, all that is 
said in the lessons of this book on the subject of 
Psychomantic Vision holds equally true of Clair- 
audience. 

Thus, there may be Simple Clairaudience ; Space 
Clairaudience ; Past Time Clairaudience ; Future 
Time Clairaudience, etc.; also Clairaudient Psy- 
chometry ; Clairaudience through Crystal Gazing, 
etc. Psychomantic Vision is the employment of the 
Astral Sight , while Clairaudience is the similar em- 
ployment of the Astral Hearing. 

In many cases of Psychomantic Vision there is 
an accompaniment of Clairaudience; while in others 
it may be missing. Likewise, Psychomantic Vision 
usually accompanied Clairaudience, although some- 
times one may be able to hear astrally, although 
not seeing. 



14 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

You will notice that in many of the instances of 
Psychomantic Vision related in this book, there is 
a mention of the person hearing words or sounds, 
while seeing the vision — this, of course, is Clairau- 
dience. 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 15 

LESSON II. 
HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF. 

BASSING to the" actual practice, we desire to 
inform our students that the faculty of Psy- 
chomancy lies dormant in every person — 
that is the Astral Senses are present in everyone, 
and the possibility of their being awakened into ac- 
tivity is always present. The different degrees of 
power observable in different persons depend chiefly 
upon the degree of development, or unfoldment, 
rather than upon the comparative strength of the 
faculties. In some persons, of certain tempera- 
ments, the Astral Senses are very near the mani- 
festing point at all times. Flashes of what are con- 
sidered to be "intuition," premonitions, etc., are 
really manifestations of Psychomancy in some 
phase. In the case of other persons, on the other 
hand, the Astral Senses are almost atrophied, so 
merged in materialistic thought and life are these 
people. The element of Faith also plays an impor< 
tant point in this phenomena, as it does in all Occult 
phenomena, for that matter. That is to say, that 
one's belief tends to open up the latent powers and 
faculty in man, while a corresponding disbelief 
tends to prevent the unfoldment or manifestation. 



16 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

There is a very good psychological reason for this 
as all students of the subject well know. Belief and 
Disbelief are two potent psychological factors on 
all planes of action. 

Occultists know, and teach, that the Astral 
Senses and faculties of the human race will unfold 
as the race progresses, at which time that which we 
now call Psychomantic Power will be a common 
possession of all persons, just as the use of the 
Physical Senses are to the race at the present time. 
In the meantime, there are persons who, not waiting 
for the evolution of the race, are beginning to mani- 
fest this power in a greater or lesser degree, de- 
pending much upon favorable circumstances, etc. 
There are many more persons in this stage of de- 
velopment than is generally realized. In fact many 
persons manifesting Psychomantic power, occa- 
sionally, are apt to pass by the phenomena as 
"imagination," and "foolishness," refusing to recog- 
nize its reality. Then, again, many persons mani- 
fest the power during sleeping hours, and dismiss 
the matter as "merely a dream," etc. 

Regarding this matter of the dawning of Psy- 
chomancy, a well-known authority writes as fol- 
lows: "Students often ask how this psychic faculty 
will first be manifested in themselves — how they 
may know when they have reached the stage at 
which its first faint foreshadowings are beginning 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 17 

to be visible. Cases differ so widely that it is im- 
possible to give to this question an answer that will 
be universally applicable. Some people begin by a 
plunge, as it were, and under some unusual stimu- 
lus become able just for once to see some striking 
vision; and very often in such a case, because the 
experience does not repeat itself, the seer comes in 
time to believe that on that occasion he must have 
been the victim of hallucination. Others begin by 
becoming intermittently conscious of the brilliant 
colors and vibrations of the human aura ; others find 
themselves with increasing frequency seeing and 
hearing something to which those around them are 
blind and deaf; others again see faces, landscapes, 
or colored clouds floating before their eyes in the 
dark, before they sink to rest; while perhaps the 
commonest experience of all is that of those who 
begin to recollect with greater and greater clear- 
ness what they have seen and heard on other planes 
during sleep." 

Very many persons possess respectable degrees 
of Simple Psychomancy, varying from vague im- 
pressions to the full manifestation of the faculty, as 
described in these lessons. Such a person has "in- 
tuitions"; "notions"; "presentiments," and the fac- 
ulty of getting ideas regarding other persons and 
things, other than by the usual mental processes. 
Others manifest certain degrees of Psychometric 



18 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

powers, which develop rapidly by practice. Others 
find themselves possessing certain degrees of power 
of "scrying" through Crystals, which power, also, 
may be developed by practice. The phases of Time 
Psychomancy, Past and Future; and that of Space 
Psychomancy, in its higher degrees, are far more 
rare, and few persons possess them, and still fewer 
persist in the practice until they develop it, they 
lacking the patience, persistence, and application 
necessary. 

While it is very difficult to lay down a set method 
of instruction in the Development of Psychomantic 
Power, owing to reasons already given, and because 
of the varying temperaments, etc., of students, yet 
there is possible a plan of giving general informa- 
tion, which if followed will put the student upon the 
right path toward future development. And this 
plan we shall now proceed to give the students of 
this little book. 

DEVELOPMENT METHODS. 

Concentration. In the first place, the student 
should cultivate the faculty of Concentration, that 
is the power to hold the attention upon an object 
for some time. Very few persons possess this pow- 
er, although they may think they do. The best 
way to develop Concentration is to practice on some 
familiar and common object, such as a pencil, book, 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 19 

ornament, etc. Take up the object and study it in 
detail, forcing the mind to examine and consider 
it in every part, until every detail of the object has 
been observed and noted. Then lay the object aside, 
and a few hours after pick it up again and repeat 
the process, and you will be surprised to see how 
many points you have missed on the first trial. Re- 
peat this until you feel that you have exhausted 
your object. The next day take up another object, 
and repeat the process. A drill of this kind will not 
only greatly develop the powers of Perception, but 
will also strengthen your powers of Concentration 
in a manner which will be of great value to you in 
Occult Development. 

Visualizing. The second point of development 
for the student, is the development of the faculty of 
Visualization. In order to Visualize you must cul- 
tivate the faculty of forming Mental Pictures of 
distant scenes, places, people, etc., until you can 
summon them before you at will, when you place 
yourself in the proper mental condition. Another 
plan is to place yourself in a comfortable position, 
and then make a mental journey to some place that 
you have previously visited. Prepare for the jour- 
ney, and then mentally see yourself starting on your 
trip; then seeing all the intermediate places and 
points; then arriving at your destination and visit- 
ing the points of interest, etc.; and then returning 



20 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

home. Then, later try to visit places that you have 
never seen, in the same way. This is not Clair- 
voyance, but is a training of the mental faculties for 
the exercise of the real power. 

Psychometry. After you have developed your- 
self along the lines of Concentration, and Visualiza- 
tion as above stated, you may begin to practice Psy- 
chometry, as follows : Take a lock of hair ; or hand- 
kerchief; or ribbon; or ring; belonging to some 
other person, and then press it against your fore- 
head, lightly, closing your eyes, and assuming a 
receptive and passive mental state. Then desire 
calmly that you Psychometrize the past history of 
the object. Do not be in too much of a hurry, but 
await calmly the impressions. After a while you 
will begin to receive impressions concerning the 
person owning the object pressed against your fore- 
head. You will form a mental picture of the per- 
son, and will soon begin to receive impressions 
about his characteristics, etc. You may practice 
with a number of objects, at different times, and 
will gradually develop the Psychometric power 
by such practice and experiments. Remember that 
you are developing what is practically a new sense, 
and must have perseverance and patience in edu- 
cating and unfolding it. 

Another form of Psychometric development is 
that of tracing the past history, surroundings, etc., 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 21 

of metals, minerals, etc. The process is identical 
to that just described. The mineral is pressed 
against the forehead, and with closed eyes the per- 
son awaits the Psychometric impression. Some who 
have highly developed the faculty have been able 
to describe the veins of mineral, metal, etc., and to 
give much valuable information regarding same, all 
arising from the psychic clue afforded by a sample 
of the rock, mineral, metal, etc. There are other 
cases of record, in which underground streams of 
water have been discovered by Psychometrists, by 
means of the clue given by a bit of earth, stone, etc., 
from the surface. In this, as in the other phase 
mentioned, practice, practice, practice , is the sum- 
ming up of the instruction regarding development. 
Crystal Gazing. We consider the use of the 
Crystal, Glass Ball, or other forms of what the an- 
cients called "The Magic Mirror," to be the best 
plan of developing Psychomantic Power. As we 
have already explained, this method serves to focus 
the concentrated desire, will, and thought of the 
person, and thereby becomes the starting point for 
the Astral Tube, of which we have frequently 
spoken in this work. The student becoming pro- 
ficient in this class of phenomena, passes by easy, 
gradual and natural stages to the higher and more 
complex phases of the subject. The "Magic Mirror" 
(of which the Crystal is but a form) was used by 



_ 



22 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

the ancient Occultists in developing the powers of 
their students, and in all countries, and in all ages, 
it has played a similar part in the process of develop- 
ing psychic powers, and serving as a focal point for 
the erection and operation of the Astral Tube, in 
Psychomancy and other forms of occult and psychic 
phenomena. 

At this point, we wish to tell you that there is no 
special virtue or magical properties or qualities in 
the Crystal itself — it is merely an instrument for 
Astral Vision, just as the telescope, microscope and 
other optical instruments are instruments employed 
in the phenomena of physical vision. It is true that 
the atomic and molecular characteristics of glass, 
crystal, etc., tend to produce the best results, but, 
after all, water, ink, etc., have been, and may be 
similarly used. No, there is no special "magic" in 
the crystal itself, so do not allow yourself to fall 
into any superstition regarding its use. 

Various teachers use different forms of the Crys- 
tal, or substitutes for it. Some of the teachers 
whose patrons are among the wealthier classes of 
the community, insist upon their pupils possessing 
globes of pure crystal, insisting that the latter alone 
gives the best results. But others who have pupils 
among people with shorter purses, have found that 
their pupils obtained just as good results by the use 
of a ball of plain glass, which is inexpensive. Others 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 23 

have advocated the use of watch crystals laid over 
a piece of black cloth, preferably velvet. Others 
have used polished steel objects, or pieces of pol- 
ished metal of various kinds, a new silver coin, for 
instance. Others still, have used a large drop of 
ink poured into a small dish, etc. Others have had 
cups painted black on their inner surface, into which 
they poured water, and claimed to have obtained 
the finest results. All the old talk about magic 
ceremonies and incantations being necessary in 
manufacturing the Magic Mirror, is pure nonsense, 
which has grown around the scientific facts of the 
case, as is so often the case. Do not be deceived by 
any such tomfoolery. A number of persons prefer 
to gaze into the bright substance of a precious stone. 
So you see, when we use the term "Crystal," we 
mean that the student may make his choice of any, 
or several, of the above-mentioned objects, or that 
he may even substitute some other object of his own 
choosing, possessing the requisite power of reflec- 
tion. 

There are but very few directions to be given in 
the use of the Crystal. Read what we have to say 
at the conclusion of our lesson on "Crystal Gazing" 
in this book, (Lesson VI). The principal point in- 
sisted upon by nearly all the teachers, is that of 
placing the back of the gazer to the light, instead 
of having him face the light. 



24 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

The simple general direction is that the gazer 
should practice by himself, at first, in a quiet room, 
sitting with his back toward the light, with the 
Crystal placed before him on a table, on a piece of 
black cloth, or other dark material, and then gaze 
calmly at the Crystal. Do not be afraid of wink- 
ing, and do not strain or tire the eyes. Some pre- 
fer making funnels of their hands, and gazing 
through them just as if they were opera-glasses, and 
we think this plan a very good one, for it serves to 
shut out distracting light, and sights. If you fail 
to see anything at the first trial, do not be dis- 
couraged, but persevere. A number of trials are 
necessary in some cases, while in others wonderful 
results have been obtained at the first experiment. 

An English authority recommends that beginners 
failing to get direct results, then try to "visualize" 
something that they have already seen — something 
familiar, such as a chair, a ring, a face, etc., and then 
turning to the Crystal endeavor to reproduce it 
there. It is claimed that this practice will often 
gradually lead to actual "seeing" in the Crystal. 

The first signs of the actual "seeing" in the Crys- 
tal, comes in the form of a "cloudiness," or "milky- 
mist" in the crystal, which slowly resolves itself into 
a form, or scene, which appears gradually like the 
precipitation of a photograph upon a sensitive plate 



HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF 25 

in the developing room. In some cases, the "misty" 
cloud deepens into a black one, from which the pic- 
tures appear. 

General Advice. In this work we give you a com- 
prehensive, although condensed, account of the vari- 
ous phases of the phenomena of Psychomancy, to- 
gether with a number of instances of typical mani- 
festations. By reading the following lessons, after 
having read the present one, the student will be 
able to gather much practical instruction on the sub- 
ject of the manifestation of the power. He will be 
able to understand the nature and general workings 
of the phenomena, so that, when he undertakes the 
work of developing the power within himself, he 
will recognize the indication of his increasing power 
and unfolding faculties, which otherwise would "be 
Greek" to him. In order to get the very best re- 
sults of instruction in this line, the student would 
of course do well to secure some competent in- 
structor who could give him personal lessons. But, 
the person who has the patience and perseverance 
to "work the thing out for himself," as many before 
him have done, will obtain results none the less val- 
uable because they were worked for without as- 
sistance. 

We feel that we have given the students of this 
little work, such an idea of the general subject, and 
its fundamental laws, together with such general in- 



26 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

struction in the methods of developing and mani- 
festing the power that it will be one's own fault if 
he fails to get at least a fair degree of success from 
his undertaking self-development along these lines. 
There is no royal road to occult or psychic power — 
no "magic word" which when once pronounced will 
prove an "open Sesame" to the Doors of Psycho- 
mancy. And we would warn the student against 
persons who undertake to impart the "Secret" upon 
the payment of a goodly sum of money. There is 
no "Secret" to be so imparted — it is all a matter, 
first of general understanding, and then practice and 
work. To some it comes easier than to others, but 
even to such, the higher degrees mean work and 
practice. We trust that we have given you food for 
thought and material for practice. The rest de- 
pends upon yourself. 



SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 27 

LESSON III. 
SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY. 

mHE phenomena of Psychomancy may be di- 
vided into three general classes, depending 
upon the nature of the "seeing," as follows: 

I. Simple Psychomancy, by which is meant the 
power of "sensing" by means of the Astral Senses 
in the degree of a mere "quickening" of the Astral 
Senses sufficiently to enable one to "sense" more 
clearly any etheric vibrations or currents; the auric 
emanations of persons and things; and similar 
phases of Psychomantic phenomena ; but which does 
not include the power to sense actual occurrences 
happening in distant places ; nor the power to sense 
the records of the past, or to receive indications of 
the future. 

II. Space Psychomancy, by which is meant the 
power to sense distant scenes, persons, or objects. 

III. Time Psychomancy, by which is meant the 
power to sense objects, events, persons, etc., in the 
records of the past ; and also the power to sense the 
indications of the future — the "shadows of coming 
events." 

Simple Psychomancy is very much more common 
than is generally supposed. Very many people are 
quite sensitive to "impressions" coming to them in 



28 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

this way, which while akin to the impressions of 
Telepathy, nevertheless belong to the higher grade 
of Psychic Phenomena known as Psychomancy. It 
may be well to state here the difference between or- 
dinary Telepathic impressions, and those of Simple 
Psychomancy. Many students are perplexed by the 
similarity between the two mentioned classes of 
phenomena, and we think it advisable to set them 
straight regarding the matter, at this point. 

As we have stated in our previous work in this 
series, (entitled "Practical Mind Reading") Tele- 
pathy is occasioned by the passage of Thought 
Waves or Currents, passing from one brain to an- 
other, just as pass the waves of Heat, Light, Elec- 
tricity, etc. In Telepathy the brain of the Trans- 
mitter sends forth the vibration, waves, or currents, 
and the brain of the Receiver registers the same, re- 
ceiving them by means of the Pineal Gland which 
acts in a manner closer resembling that of the re- 
ceiving instrument in Wireless Telegraphy. In 
Telepathy there is merely the sending and receiving 
of thought vibrations, over the physical organs. 

But in Simple Psychomancy, the person may, and 
does, receive the thought vibrations emanating from 
the mind of another, but not over the physical chan- 
nels, as in Telepathy, but by means of the Astral 
Senses . In this lies the difference. 

Now, it follows that the Astral Senses being far 



SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 29 

more keen and acute than the Physical Senses, the 
former" will register vibrations and impressions far 
more readily than the latter, and will often register 
impressions that the Physical Senses (even the 
Pineal Gland organ) take no account of. In this 
way the person in whom the Astral Senses are even 
partially developed will receive impressions of the 
thoughts of others that even the most acute Mind 
Reader will fail to notice ; as well as words actually 
spoken by the other person; and ideas forming in 
the mind of the other person not yet expressed in 
active thought-waves. 

But, it should be added, the development of Tele- 
pathic powers very frequently grow into a develop- 
ment of Psychomantic powers, and so the former 
is one of the easiest paths to the latter, and may be 
used in developing Clairvoyant power, and in un- 
folding the Astral Senses. In this way the person 
possessing even a moderate degree of Psychomantic 
power often "feels" the thoughts, ideas, emotions, 
and other mental states of the people around him, 
and knows without any words being used just what 
the others are thinking and feeling. This is often 
perceived by merely the increased power to receive 
and register the Thought-vibrations, but in some 
cases the ability to sense the "Aura" of the other 
persons heighten the impression. 



30 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

THE AURA. 

The majority of our readers are familiar with the 
fact that all persons, and objects, are surrounded by 
an emanation called an "Aura," or egg-shaped psy- 
chic emanation extending several feet around them. 
This aura is charged with the thought-vibrations of 
the persons, and is really the "atmosphere" that we 
feel surrounding people and by which we feel at- 
tracted or repelled as the case may be. The trained 
and developed Psychomancer is able to see the colors 
by which the various emotions, thoughts, etc., are 
indicated, but even when that degree of power is 
lacking, he may "feel" the general character of the 
various component parts of the person's aura. 

While it is not our intention to go deeply into this 
matter of Auric Colors, in this work, still we think 
it well to indicate the same here, by quoting from a 
well-known authority on the subject, who says: 
"As he looks at a person he will see him surrounded 
by the luminous mist of the astral aura, flashing with 
all sorts of brilliant colors, and constantly changing 
in hue and brilliancy with every variation of the 
person's thoughts and feelings. He will see this 
aura flooded with the beautiful rose-color of pure 
affection; the rich blue of devotional feeling; the 
hard dull brown of selfishness; the deep scarlet of 
anger; the horrible lurid red of sensuality; the livid 
grey of fear ; the black clouds of hatred and malice ; 



SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 31 

or any of the other hundredfold indications so easily 
to be read in it by a practiced eye ; and thus it will 
be impossible for any persons to conceal from him 
the real state of their feelings on any subject." 

But only a comparatively few are able to distinct- 
ly see these Auric Colors, by reason of their lack of 
development along these special lines. But a great 
number of people are able to feel the subtle vibra- 
tions which give rise to these colors. Just as there 
are well authenticated cases of blind men and women 
being able to distinguish by the sense of feeling (in 
touch) the various colors which their blind eyes fail 
to see, so are thousands of people able to feel the 
auric shades which their imperfectly developed 
clairvoyant vision fails to perceive. In this connec- 
tion it is interesting to note that science informs us 
that the sense of Feeling was the first developed of 
any of the physical senses; in fact all the other 
senses are developments of, and extensions of, the 
original sense of Feeling. And there is a close cor- 
respondence between this phenomena of the Phys- 
ical Senses, and that of the Astral Senses. 

But there are other, and perhaps more wonderful, 
features of Simple Psychomancy. It is a well estab- 
lished scientific fact that nearly, if not indeed all, 
objects are constantly emanating streams of Radi- 
ant Energy, or Streams of Electrons as they are 
called by some. The delicate instruments of science 



32 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

are able to detect and register some of the coarser 
vibrations of this energy, but the more delicate ones 
have so far escaped them. But the Astral Senses of 
the developed Psychomancer register and record 
many of the finer vibrations, and in this way many 
so-called "miracles" of occultism are explained. Let 
us examine this phenomena at this point. 

It becomes apparent to any student of the subject, 
early in his investigations, that the Psychomancer 
is able to "see" things hidden by other objects, and 
often surrounded by the densest matter. In other 
words he is able to see through solid objects — to see 
"through a brick wall" to use the familiar phrase. 
Now this may seem almost incredible to one at the 
first mention of the subject. But when the skeptic's 
attention is called to the fact that the "X Rays" and 
similar forms of energy recently discovered by sci- 
ence, readily pierce through solid objects, and may 
be actually "seen" by the eye (aided by the proper 
instruments), or recorded on a photographic plate 
— then the impossible feat of "seeing through a brick 
wall" becomes a very simple, understandable mat- 
ter, indeed. And in an almost identical manner the 
Psychomancer sees through solid objects — and the 
most solid material becomes transparent to his As- 
tral Sight. 

The fine streams or waves of energy constantly 
being emanated by all objects, which are invisible 



SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 33 

to the naked physical eye, are registered and re- 
corded by the Astral Sense of Sight. The Psycho- 
mancer even by means of the comparatively ele- 
mentary power of Simple Psychomancy is able to 
see what is going on in an adjoining room, or other 
nearby place; to read the contents of a sealed let- 
ter; to describe the contents of a locked, steel book; 
or to read a chosen passage in a closed book. 

To the developed and trained Psychomancer, 
when he conpentrates his power, the solid ground 
over which he is walking, becomes transparent, and 
he is enabled to see down into its depths to a con- 
siderable distance. In this way he may see living 
underground creatures at work, and play; and to 
discover veins of mineral, coal, etc., or underground 
streams of water. In these cases the Clairvoyant 
does not travel in the Astral, but merely receives 
and perceives the subtle vibrations or streams of 
fine energy constantly being emanated by the ob- 
jects. Some Clairvoyants have developed certain 
other less common faculties of Astral Sight, which 
give the "telescopic" and "microscopic" vision in 
these cases, in addition to the main faculty of "see- 
ing" things through solid coverings. 

The question will naturally arise in the mind of 
the student, whether there is any limit to the depths 
open to the Astral Sight of the Psychomancer (in 
this phase of the phenomena), as for instance when 



34 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

he is looking into the solid earth. It may be urged 
that as objects at immense distances underground 
emanate rays just as truly as do objects nearer the 
surface, then there should be no difference in the 
power of vision. Answering this question we would 
say that the same objection and obstacle arises in 
this case, as in the corresponding physical phenome- 
na, such as the X Rays. While a far distant object 
emits rays just as well as a nearby one, still there 
is a loss of energy according to distance, and the 
Astral Sense, like the Physical Sense, fails to clearly 
register after a certain distance is attained. This 
distance varies in the case of different persons using 
their Astral Vision, just as it does in the case of the 
different degrees of eyesight possessed! by various 
persons. And then again, it must not be supposed 
that the earth becomes as clear as glass to the Astral 
Vision. On the contrary it presents a similar ap- 
pearance to that obtained when one is seeing ob- 
jects through water or mist, with the physical eye. 
One can see quite a way through water or mist with 
the physical eye, but after a certain distance the im- 
pressions grow dim, and finally fade from view. Of 
course in the case of the erecting of the Astral Tube 
better results may be obtained, but this phenomena 
belongs to the class of Space Psychomancy. 

There is another power open to the Psychomancer 
along the lines of Simple Psychomancy. We refer 



SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY 35 

to the phenomena of "seeing' into" the physical 
bodies of other people; examining the internal or- 
gans; diagnosing diseases, etc. Of course, in this 
case, before the Clairvoyant is able to correctly 
diagnose a disease he must be acquainted with the 
nature of the organs, and their appearance in their 
normal state, etc., so that he will recognize a diseased 
condition when he sees it. One must needs have 
an acquaintance with Anatomy and Physiology, as 
well as possessing trained Psychomantic powers for 
this work. 



36 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



LESSON IV. 
THE ASTRAL TUBE. 

mHE term, "The Astral Tube," is frequently 
met with in the writings of Occultists, but 
you will find very little more than a men- 
tion of it in many of such works, the proverbial 
caution of the older writers having acted in the di- 
rection of preventing their entering into a fuller 
description or explanation, for fear of the informa- 
tion falling into improper hands. This will be more 
readily understood, when we tell you that the Astral 
Tube is, and may be, used for classes of phenomena 
other than that of Psychomancy, notably that of 
Mental Influencing, "treating," etc., which however 
forms no part of the present work, but which will 
be discussed in a future volume of the series to be 
called "Mental Influence, etc." 

The Astral Plane is composed of an ethereal form 
of matter, very much rarer and finer than the mat- 
ter of the Physical Plane — but matter, nevertheless, 
and subject to fixed laws and conditions. And, just 
as it is possible to establish "lines of force" in the 
physical matter, so may corresponding "lines of 
force" be established in Astral matter. And this 
Astral Tube is really such a "line of force." In 
other words, it is possible to set up and establish 



THE ASTRAL TUBE 37 

a "line of force" on the Astral Plane, that will serve 
as a ready conductor of Astral vibrations, currents, 
etc., and which affords a highly efficient channel of 
communication between objects far removed from 
each other in space. And this channel is actually 
created and used in a variety of forms of Occult 
phenomena. 

POLARIZATION. 

You have heard of "Polarity," and "Polarization" 
in connection with electrical phenomena. "Polarity" 
is defined by Webster as: "That quality or condi- 
tion of a body by virtue of which it exhibits oppo- 
site or contrasted properties or powers, in opposite 
or contrasted parts or directions ; or, a condition giv- 
ing rise to a contrast of properties corresponding to 
a contrast of positions." And, "Polarization" is de- 
fined by the same authority as : "Act of polarizing ; 
state of having polarity." Well, then, the process 
of erecting the Astral Tube is practically that of 
the "polarization" of the particles of Astral matter 
by an effort of the human Will, set in motion by 
means of a strong Desire or Determination, under 
certain conditions. 

When the human Will is directed toward a dis- 
tant person or object, under the proper psychic con- 
ditions, it tends to "polarize" a path or channel 
through the Astral atmosphere toward the desired 



38 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

point, which channel becomes at once an easy course 
of psychic communication for the transmission or 
receiving of psychic impressions or expressions, as 
the case may be. And, in the case of Psychomancy, 
and kindred phenomena, the Astral Senses of the 
person (even though his Astral Body be still within 
its physical counterpart) are able to readily "sense" 
the impressions being manifested at a far distant 
point in space. 

The above mentioned channel of communication 
— the Astral Tube — has not of course the advan- 
tages of actual travel in the Astral Body, and is 
besides affected by certain Astral happenings, such 
as the breaking up of the tube, or an impairment 
of its efficiency, by reason of some stronger astral 
current or channel, etc., for instance. When one 
considers the currents and cross-currents constantly 
in operation on the Astral Plane, it will be seen how 
likely the above mentioned interference is to happen. 

Through the Astral Tube the Astral Senses ac- 
tually "sense" the sights, and often the sounds, 
being manifested at a distance, just as one may see 
distant sights through a telescope, or hear distant 
sounds through a telephone, for instance. It also 
may be used as a microscope, as we shall see as we 
proceed. The student's attention is especially di- 
rected toward the fact that in this form of phenome- 
na, the Psychomancer remains within his physical 



THE ASTRAL TUBE 39 

body, and does not travel in the Astral at all. He 
sees the distant scenes, just as a man sees them 
through a telescope. His consciousness remains 
within his physical body. 

A well known writer on this subject has truly 
said: " * * * the limitations resemble those of 
a man using a telescope on the physical plane. The 
experimenter, for example, has a particular field of 
view which cannot be enlarged or altered; he is 
looking at his scene from a certain direction, and 
he cannot suddenly turn it all around and see how 
it looks from the other side. If he has sufficient 
psychic energy to spare, he may drop altogether the 
telescope that he is using, and manufacture an en- 
tirely new one for himself which will approach his 
objective somewhat differently; but this is not a 
course at all likely to be adopted in practice. But, 
it may be said, the mere fact that he is using Astral 
Sight ought to enable him to see it from all sides at 
once. And so it would, if he were using that sight 
in the normal way upon an object which was fairly 
near him — within his astral reach as it were ; but at 
a distance of hundreds or thousands of miles the 
case is very different. Astral sight gives us the ad- 
vantage of an additional dimension, but there is still 
such a thing as position in that dimension, and it is 
naturally a potent factor in limiting the use of the 
powers of its plane. * * * Astral sight, when 



40 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



it is cramped by being directed along what is prac- 
tically a tube, is limited very much as physical sight 
would be under similar circumstances, though if 
possessed in perfection it will continue to show, 
even at that distance, the auras, and therefore all 
the emotions and most of the thoughts of^the people 
under observation." 

The Astral Tube, in connection with Psycho- 
mancy, is used in a variety of forms. It is often 
used unconsciously, and springs into existence spon- 
taneously, under the power of some strong emotion, 
desire or will. It is also observed in some cases of 
hypnotic phenomena, in which the hypnotist uses 
his will to cause his subject to form an Astral Tube, 
and then report his impressions. It is also used by 
the trained Psychomancer, without the use of any 
"starting point," or "focal centre," simply by the 
exercise of his trained, developed and concentrated 
will. But its most familiar and common use is in 
connection with some object serving as a "starting 
point," or "focal centre." 

The "starting point" or "focal centre," above men- 
tioned, is generally either what is known as "the 
associated object" in the class of phenomena com- 
monly known as "Psychometry," or else a glass or 
crystal-ball, or similar polished reflecting surface, 
in what is known as "Crystal Gazing." In the two 
next succeeding lessons, we shall consider these two 
forms of phenomena, respectively. 






PSYCHOMETRY 41 



LESSON V. 
PSYCHOMETRY. 

mHE phenomena commonly known as "Psy- 
chometry," is but one phase of Psychomancy 
— or it even may be said to be but a method 
employed to bring into action the Astral Senses. 
The Psychometrist merely gets into rapport with the 
distant scene; or period of time; or person; or ob- 
ject; by using some bit of physical material asso- 
ciated with that scene; time; person; objects; etc., 
into order to "open up communications" along the 
usual lines of Psychomancy. This has been com- 
pared to the use of objects associated with a thing in 
the case of memory. We all know how the sight of 
some object will recall at once memories of things 
long since forgotten, to all appearances, but which 
memories have been merely stored away in the great 
storehouse of the mind, to be recalled readily when 
the "association" is furnished. What "association" 
is in the case of Memory, so is the material object 
presented as the "associated object" in Psychometry. 
The Occult Teachings inform us that there is a 
psychic connection ever existing between things once 
associated, and that when we throw ourselves into 
the psychic current surrounding an object we may 
readily follow the current back until we reach the 



42 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

associated object for which we are seeking on the 
Astral Plane. In the Akashic Records (See Lesson 
IX) all memories are registered and recorded, and 
if we have a good starting point we may travel back 
until we find that which we desire. In the same way 
the "associated object" furnishes us with a ready 
means of starting our Astral Tube into being and 
use. This is the secret of the use of the lock of hair ; 
the bit of clothing; the piece of metal or mineral, 
etc., used by Psychometrists. 

A well known authority on the subject has said 
concerning Psychometry : "It may be asked how it 
is possible, amid the bewildering confusion of these 
records of the past, to find any particular picture 
when it is wanted? As a matter of fact, the un- 
trained psychic usually cannot do so without some 
special link to put him in rapport with the subject 
required. Psychometry is an instance in point, and 
it is quite probable that our ordinary memory is 
really only another presentment of the same idea. 
It seems as though there were a sort of magnetic 
attachment or affinity between any particle of matter 
and the record which contains its history — an affinity 
which enables it to act as a kind of conductor be- 
tween that record and the faculties of anyone who 
can read it. For instance, I once brought from 
Stonehenge a tiny fragment of stone, not larger than 
a pin's head, and on putting this into an envelope 



PSYCHOMETRY 43 



and handing it to a psychometrist who had no idea 
what it was, she at once began to describe the won- 
derful ruin from which it came, and the desolate 
country surrounding it, and then went on to picture 
vividly what were evidently scenes from its early 
history, showing that the infinitesimal fragment 
had been sufficient to put her into communication 
with the records connected with the spot from which 
it came. The scenes through which we pass in the 
course of our life seem to act in the same manner 
upon the cells of our brain as did the history of 
Stonehenge upon that particle of stone ; they estab- 
lish a connection with those cells by means of which 
our mind is put in rapport with that particular por- 
tion of the records, and so we 'remember' what we 
have seen." 

THE FIVE METHODS. 

The method of Psychometry may be employed in 
a number of ways, among which are the following, 
all of which are subject to many variations and 
combinations : 

i. Locating a person by means of a lock of hair, 
article of clothing, handkerchief, ribbon, piece of 
jewelry, bit of writing, etc. In this manner not only 
may a good Psychometrist locate the person, but 
will also be able to give an idea of his characteris- 
tics, habits, health, etc. 



44 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

2. Describing a person's characteristics, past life, 
future, etc., by means of the rapport condition made 
possible by the person's presence. 

3. Describing a present distant scene by means of 
a bit of mineral, plant, or similar object once located 
at the place. 

4. Describing the surrounding underground char- 
acteristics by means of a bit of mineral, etc. 

5. Getting into touch with the past history of an 
object, or its surroundings, by means of the object 
itself. For instance, a bullet from the battle-field 
may give the history of the battle; a bit of ancient 
pottery, the characteristics and habits of the people 
who made or used it, as well as the appearance of 
the land in which they dwell, etc. 

In all of these phases, with their variations and 
combination, the student will see the operation of 
the phenomena under the various heads as classi- 
fied by us in this work. Each occurrence or mani- 
festation will be found to fit into the class of Simple 
Psychomancy; Space Psychomancy; Past Time 
Psychomancy; or Future Time Psychomancy. 

(See Lesson II, for suggestions regarding devel- 
opment of Psychometric power.) 



CRYSTAL GAZING 45 



LESSON VI. 
CRYSTAL GAZING. 

mHERE has been a great revival of interest 
in the subject of ''Crystal Gazing/' particu- 
larly in England, of late years, and many 
interesting accounts have appeared in the papers 
and magazines regarding the results of the experi- 
ments. But the majority of the writers on the sub- 
ject persist in treating it as a thing separate 
and apart from other forms of Psychomancy — in 
fact, many of them ignore Psychomancy altogether 
and are apparently under the impression that there 
is no connection between it and their favorite sub- 
ject of Crystal Gazing. This attitude is somewhat 
amusing to persons who have made a careful study 
of Psychic Phenomena and who know that Crystal 
Gazing is not a distinct phenomenon, but is merely 
a method of bringing into action the Psychomantic 
faculties. 

In many respects the Crystal acts in a manner 
akin to that of the ''associated object" in Psychom- 
etry, but there is one point of distinction which 
should not be overlooked by the student. The "asso- 
ciated object" gives to the Psychometrist a starting 
point for the Astral Tube, and also serves to "point 
the Astral Telescope" (if one may use the term) 



46 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

in the right direction, by reason of its affinity with 
the distant scene, etc. But the Crystal does not so 
act, for it is not closely allied to, or in sympathy 
with other things, when used in the ordinary man- 
ner. Instead of being the "eye-lens of the tele- 
scope," it is really a "Magic Mirror" which is turned 
first this way and that, and which reflects whatever 
comes within its field, just as does any other mirror. 
The trained and developed Psychomancer, however, 
may direct his Mirror to any desired point, and may 
hold it there by means of a concentrated Will. 

The favor with which Crystal Gazing meets with 
at the hands of beginners is due to the fact that it 
is the easiest method known by which the Astral 
Vision may be awakened. With the majority of 
people, the power may be awakened only by the 
aid of some physical object which may act as a 
starting-point for the Astral Tube, or as one writer 
has expressed it, "a convenient focus for the Will- 
power." A number of objects may be so employed, 
but the Crystal or Glass Ball is the best for the 
purpose because of certain atomic and molecular 
arrangements which tend to promote the manifesta- 
tion of the psychic power and faculties. 

Crystal Gazing, as a method for inducing Psycho- 
mantic vision, has been quite common among all 
peoples, in all times. Not only the Crystal but 
many other objects are similarly used. In Aus- 



CRYSTAL GAZING 47 

tralia the native priests use water and shining 
objects, or in some cases, flame. In New Zealand 
some of the natives use a drop of blood. The 
Fijians fill a hole with water, and gaze into it. 
Some South American tribes use the polished sur- 
face of a black stone. The American Indians used 
water and shining bits of flint or quartz. And so 
the story goes. As Lang states it, people "stare 
into a crystal ball; a cup; a mirror; a blot of ink 
(Egypt and India) ; a drop of blood (the Maoris 
of New Zealand) ; a bowl of water (American In- 
dians) ; a pond (Roman and African) ; water in a 
glass bowl (Fez) ; or almost any polished surface, 
etc." 

We quote a typical case of Crystal Gazing, re- 
lated by Mr. Andrew Lang. He says : 

"I had given a glass ball to a young lady, Miss 
Baillie, who had scarcely any success with it. She 
lent it to Miss Leslie, who saw a large, square, old- 
fashioned red sofa covered with muslin (which she 
afterward found in the next country-house she 
visited). Miss Baillie's brother, a young athlete, 
laughed at these experiments, took the ball into 
his study, and came back looking 'gey gash.' He 
admitted that he had seen a vision — somebody he 
knew, under a lamp. He said he would discover 
during the week whether he saw right or not. This 
was at 5.30 on a Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday, 



48 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

Mr. Baillie was at a dance in a town forty miles 
from his home, and met a Miss Preston. 'On Sun- 
day/ he said, 'about half-past five, you were sitting 
under a standard lamp, in a dress I never saw you 
wear, a blue blouse with lace over the shoulders, 
pouring out tea for a man in blue serge, whose back 
was towards me, so that I only saw the tip of his 
mustache.' 'Why, the blinds must have been up,' 
said Miss Preston. 'I was at Dulby,' said Mr. 
Baillie, and he undeniably was." 

Stead relates the following experience with the 
Crystal: "Miss X. upon looking into the crystal 
on two occasions as a test, to see if she could see 
men when she was several miles off, saw not me, 
but a different friend of mine on each occasion. 
She had never seen either of my friends before, 
but imediately identified them both on seeing them 
afterward at my office. On one of the evenings 
on which we experimented in the vain attempts to 
photograph a Double, I dined with Madam C. and 
her friend at a neighboring restaurant. As she 
glanced at the water bottle, Madam C. saw a pic- 
ture beginning to form, and, looking at it from 
curiosity, described with considerable detail an 
elderly gentleman whom she had never seen before, 
and whom I did not in the least recognize from her 
description at the moment. Three hours after- 
wards, when the seance was over, Madam C. en- 



CRYSTAL GAZING 49 

tered the room and recognized Mr. Elliott, of 
Messrs. Elliott & Fry, as the gentleman whom she 
had seen and described in the water bottle at the 
restaurant. On another occasion the picture was 
less agreeable: it was an old man lying dead in 
bed with some one weeping at his feet; but who it 
was, or what it related to, no one knew." 

As a matter of general interest, we also quote Mr. 
Stead's remarks on crystal gazing, which agree with 
our own views and experience. He says: "There 
are some people who cannot look into an ordinary 
globular bottle without seeing pictures form them- 
selves, without any effort or will on their part, in 
the crystal globe. Crystal gazing seems to be the 
least dangerous and most simple of all forms of ex- 
perimenting. You simply look into a crystal globe 
the size of a five-shilling piece, or a water bottle 
which is full of clear water, and which is placed so 
that too much light does not fall upon it, and then 
simply look at it. You make no incantations, and 
engage in no mumbo-jumbo business; you simply 
look at it for two or three minutes, taking care not 
to tire yourself, winking as much as you please, 
but fixing your thought upon whatever you wish 
to see. Then, if you have the faculty, the glass 
will cloud over with a milky mist, and in the centre 
the image is gradually precipitated in just the same 
way as a photograph forms on the sensitive plate." 



50 



PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



(See Lesson II, for further particulars on 
Crystal, Gazing, and suggestions for the successful 
development of the power.) 




ASTRAL PROJECTION 51 



LESSON VII. 
ASTRAL PROJECTION. 

mN OUR last three lessons we considered that 
class of Psychomancy arising from the 
erection and employment of the "Astral 
Tube." In the present lesson we pass to a con- 
sideration of the third class of phenomena, namely, 
that occasioned by the actual projection of one's 
Astral Body to distant points. 

In this class of phenomena the consciousness of 
the person does not remain within the physical 
organism, but is actually projected along with the 
Astral Body to the point being psychically viewed 
or examined. This form of Psychomancy is, of 
course, a higher degree of manifestation than the 
class previously described. Here physical con- 
sciousness is temporarily suspended (perhaps for 
but a moment or so) and the Astral Body con- 
taining the consciousness of the individual is pro- 
jected to some point, perhaps far distant, with the 
rapidity of thought, where it examines objects there 
situated, receiving sensations through and by means 
of the Astral Senses. This phenomena may arise 
while the person is in a trance, or sleep, etc., or 
else in a moment of concentrated abstraction, when 
one is ''day-dreaming"; in a "brown study"; or 



52 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

"wrapped in thought/' as the familiar terms run. 
When he returns to his physical body he "comes 
to himself," and what he has seen or heard seems 
to him like a "day-dream" or fantasy — unless he 
be a trained seer, in which case the two planes of 
consciousness will be closely related, and almost 
continuous. 

Besides the more familiar phases of this class of 
phenomena, there are wonderful possibilities open 
for the developed Psychomancer along these lines. 
As a leading writer on this subject has said con- 
cerning it: "He has also the immense advantage 
of being able to take part, as it were, in the scenes 
which come before his eyes. If, in addition, he 
can learn how to materialize himself, he will be able 
to take part in physical events or conversations at 
a distance, and to show himself to an absent friend 
at will." 

The trained experimenter along these lines has 
also the advantage of being able to search about on 
the Astral Plane for what he desires to find or 
locate. He is able to direct his Astral Body to 
definite places, either by means similar to finding 
one's way on the physical plane, or else by fol- 
lowing up the psychic clue afforded by a piece of 
clothing, a lock of hair, a piece of stone, or some 
other object connected with the person or place 
desired, by means of a higher form of Psychometry. 



ASTRAL PROJECTION 53 

Of course, the person whose powers are not so 
highly developed is not able to have such control 
over his Astral Body, or to manifest such a degree 
of trained power. He is like a child learning to 
walk, or read — he is awkward,, and must learn to 
direct his movements. There are many degrees of 
power, from the occasional, spontaneous manifesta- 
tions, to those of the highly trained Occultists who 
travel in the Astral even more easily than in the 
physical, and with the same degree of certainty and 
control. 

The pages of reliable works on Occultism and 
Psychic Research are filled with illustrations and 
examples of cases along these lines, in which the 
Astral Body m of persons have traveled to distant 
scenes, and have reported occurrences and scenes 
witnessed there, sometimes materializing so as to 
be seen by the persons in the places visited. We 
herewith mention a few of these cases, in order to 
illustrate the principle. 

A well-known example is that of the Philadel- 
phia^ mentioned by the German writer Jung Still- 
ing, and quoted by some English writers. The man 
in question was a well-known character, respected, 
of good reputation and steady habits. He had the 
reputation of possessing Psychomantic powers which 
he sometimes manifested for the benefit of friends 
and others. He was once consulted by the wife of 



54 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



a sea captain, whose husband was on a voyage to 
Europe and Africa, and whose vessel had been long 
overdue, and from whom no tidings had been re- 
ceived for a long time. 

The Psychomancer listened to the story of the 
anxious and distressed wife, and then excused him- 
self from the room for a short time, retiring into 
an adjoining room. Becoming alarmed at his con- 
tinued absence from the room, the lady quietly 
opened the connecting door, and peeped in the 
second room, where much to her surprise and alarm 
she saw the old man lying on a couch, showing all 
the appearances of death. She waited in great 
alarm for a long time, when he aroused himself and 
returned to her. He told her that he had visited 
her husband in a coffee-house in London, and gave 
her the reasons for his not having written, adding 
that he would soon return to Philadelphia. 

When the husband finally returned, his wife 
questioned him regarding the matter, and he in- 
formed her that the reasons given by the Psycho- 
mancer were correct in every detail. Upon being 
taken into the presence of the man, the old sea 
captain uttered an exclamation of surprise, saying 
that he had seen the man on a certain day in a 
coffee-house in London, and that the man had told 
him that his wife was worried about him, and that 
he had answered the man, saying that he had been 



ASTRAL PROJECTION 55 

prevented from writing for certain reasons, and 
that he was on the very eve of setting sail for 
America. He said that he had then lost sight of 
the stranger suddenly. 

W. T. Stead relates the case of a lady of his 
acquaintance who has spontaneously developed the 
power to travel in her Astral Body, and to material- 
ize the same unconsciously. She became a source 
of great worry and distress to many of her friends, 
to whom she would pay unexpected and involuntary 
visits, frightening them out of their wits by the 
materialization of what they supposed must be the 
"ghost" of the lady, whom they thought must have 
died suddenly. The occurrences, however, became 
so frequent that her friends at last became familiar 
with the nature of the appearances, and viewed 
them with merely great interest and wonder. 

The English Society for Psychical Research have 
several hundred well-authenticated instances of such 
appearances in their published records. One of the 
well-known cases is that of a gentleman described 
as "S. H. B.," a member of the London Stock Ex- 
change, and a man of considerable business note. 
He relates his story as follows: 

"One Sunday night in November, 1881, I was in 
Kildare Gardens, when I willed very strongly that I 
would visit in the spirit two lady friends, the Misses 
V., who were living three miles off, in Hogarth 



56 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

Road. I willed that I should do this at one o'clock 
in the morning, and having willed it, I went to 
sleep. Next Thursday, when I first met my friends, 
the elder lady told me she woke up and saw my 
apparition advancing to her bedside. She screamed 
and woke her sister, who also saw me." (A signed 
statement of the two sisters accompanies this 
statement, both ladies fixing the time at one o'clock, 
and saying that Mr. B. wore evening dress.) 

"Again, on December i, 1882, I was at Southall. 
At half-past nine I sat down to endeavor to fix my 
mind so strongly upon the interior of a house at 
Kew, where Miss V. and her sister lived, that I 
seemed to be actually in the house. I was con- 
scious, but was in a kind of mesmeric sleep. When 
I went to bed that night, I willed to be in the 
front bedroom of that house at Kew at twelve, and 
to make my presence felt by the inmates. Next 
day I went to Kew. Miss V.'s married sister told 
me, without any prompting from me, that she had 
seen me in the passage going from one room to 
another at half-past nine o'clock, and that at twelve, 
when she was wide awake, she saw me come to the 
front bedroom, where she slept, and take her hair, 
which is very long, into my hand. She said I then 
took her hand and gazed into the palm intently. 
She said, 'You need not look at the lines, for I never 
had any trouble.' She then woke her sister. When 



ASTRAL PROJECTION 57 

Mrs. L. told me this. I took out the entry that I had 
made the previous night and read it to her. Mrs. 
L. is quite sure she was not dreaming. She had 
only seen me once before, two years previously, at 
a fancy ball." 

"Again, on March 22, 1884, I wrote to Mr. 
Gurney, of the Psychical Research Society, telling 
him I was going to make my presence felt by Miss 
V., at 44 Norland Square, at midnight. Ten days 
afterwards, I saw Miss V., when she voluntarily 
told me that on Saturday at midnight, she distinctly 
saw me, when she was quite wide awake." 

We have related these accounts in order to show 
instances of the appearance of a materialized Astral 
Body. But, we must remember that these cases of 
materialization are very rare as compared to the 
cases of Astral Projection (without materialization) 
in ordinary Clairvoyance. And yet the phenomena 
is practically the same in both instances, leaving 
out the phase of materialization. In many instances 
the individual actually travels in his Astral Body 
to the distant scene and there witnesses the events 
occurring at that point. There is a "ghost" within 
each one of us, which under certain favorable con- 
ditions travels away from our physical body and 
"sees things" at far-off points. Under certain other 
conditions it materializes, and is visible to others, 
but in the majority of cases it merely "sees" with- 



58 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

out being seen. The Psychomancer, in this phase 
of the phenomena, actually travels from the loca- 
tion of the physical body, to the other points de- 
sired, and reports what he or she sees and hears 
there. 

Astral Projection is frequently developed by 
faithful practice of, and demonstration of, the 
simpler forms of Psychomancy. It is all a matter 
of successive steps of development. 



SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 59 

LESSON VIII. 
SPACE PSYCHOMANCY. 



AS WE stated in previous lessons, "Space 
Psychomancy" is the exercise of the faculty 
«J in the direction of perceiving far-distant 
scenes, persons, objects, etc. 

Of course, there is really an exercise of Space 
Psychomancy in some instances of Simple Psycho- 
mancy. But we make the distinction because in 
the case of objects seen by Simple Psychomancy 
at some little distance from the observer, the im- 
pression is received by means of the rays, or vi- 
brations from the objects themselves, by means of 
the developed Astral Senses, acting in a simple 
manner; while in the case of Space Psychomancy 
(in the technical sense of the term) the impression 
is received by means of either the erection of the 
Astral Tube, or else by the actual projection of the 
consciousness in the Astral Body — the latter being 
an actual visiting of the scene. 

A little illustration may perhaps make clearer 
the above distinction. Let us suppose a man on 
the Physical Plane with ordinary eyesight — such a 
man could not see an object beyond the average 
distance of vision, and he would be like a person 
devoid of Psychomantic powers. Then let us sup- 



60 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

pose a man of extraordinary visual powers, such as 
many hunters or seafaring men — such a one could 
see things invisible to the first man, and would 
thus resemble the person manifesting Simple Psy- 
chomancy. Then let us suppose a third man, using 
a telescope — this man could see things that neither 
of the other two could perceive, and he would thus 
resemble the person manifesting along the lines of 
Space Psychomancy by means of the Astral Tube. 
And, finally, let us suppose a fourth man, who pos- 
sessed magical wings which would instantly trans- 
port him to the distant scene, whence he could 
view the objects, personally, and at close range — 
well this man would be like the person who was 
able to project his Astral Body, and thus view the 
distant scenes at will, and at short range, without 
the difficulties attendant upon the use of the tele- 
scope-like Astral Tube— to see the object on any 
and all sides, and from all points of view — to get 
inside of it , as well as outside. 

The following interesting cases are quoted to 
illustrate the principle: 

Captain Yount, of the Napa Valley, California, 
had a peculiar experience while asleep. He had a 
remarkably clear vision in which appeared a band 
of emigrants perishing from cold and hunger amidst 
a mountain range. He noted particularly, and in 
detail, the scenery and appearance of the canyon. 



SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 61 

He saw a huge, perpendicular cliff of white rock; 
and the emigrants cutting off what appeared to be 
the tops of trees arising from great drifts of snow; 
he even saw plainly the features of some of the 
party. He awoke, sorely distressed by the vivid- 
ness and the nature of his "dream," for so he con- 
sidered it to be. But, by-and-by, he fell asleep 
again, and saw the scene repeated, with equal dis- 
tinctness. In the morning he found that he could 
not get the "dream" out of his mind, and he told 
it to some of his friends. One of the hearers of 
the story was an old hunter, who at once recognized 
the place seen in the dream as a place across the 
Sierras, known as a point in the Carson Valley 
Pass. So earnest was the old hunter, that Captain 
Yount, and his friends, organized a rescue party 
and set out with provisions, mules, and blankets 
to seek the perishing emigrants. Notwithstanding 
the ridicule of the public, the rescuers persisted in 
their search, and finally about one hundred and fifty 
miles distant, in the Carson Valley Pass, they found 
the scene as described by Captain Yount, and in 
the identical spot seen in the dream were found the 
party of emigrants , the surviving members of whom 
were rescued and brought over the mountain. 

Another interesting account is given in the re- 
ports of the Society for Psychical Research, of 
England. It relates that an English lady, Mrs. 



62 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

Broughton, awoke one night in 1844, and aroused 
her husband, telling him that she had had a strange 
vision of a scene in France. She stated that she 
had seen a broken-down carriage, evidently wrecked 
in an accident, and a crowd gathered around the 
figure of a man, whose body was then raised and 
carried into a nearby house. She said that the 
body was then placed in a bed, when she recog- 
nized his features as those of the Duke of Orleans. 
Then friends gathered around the bed, and later 
came the king and queen of France, all weeping. 
She saw the doctor, who stood over the Duke, feel- 
ing his pulse, with his watch in his other hand, but 
she could only see the doctor's back. Then the 
scene had faded from her vision. When daylight 
finally came, she recorded the vision in her journal. 
It was before the days of the telegraph, and it was 
more than two days before the newspapers an- 
nounced the death of the Duke of Orleans. The 
lady visited Paris afterward, and recognized the 
place of the accident. It then appeared that the 
attending physician whose face she could not see 
in her vision, was an old friend of hers, who then 
told her that as he watched the bed his mind had 
involuntarily dwelt upon her and her family. 

The well-known case of Swedenborg gives us 
another illustration of this class of Psychomancy. 
It is related that in the latter part of September, 



SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 63 

1759) at f° ur o'clock one Saturday afternoon, 
Swedenborg arrived home from England, and dis- 
embarked at Gothenburg. Mr. W. Castel met him 
and invited him to dinner, at which meal there were 
fifteen persons gathered around the table. At six 
o'clock that evening Swedenborg went out a few 
minutes, returning to the table excited and pale. 
When questioned, he said that there was a fire at 
Stockholm, 200 miles distant, which was steadily 
spreading. He grew very restless, and frequently 
left the room. He said that the house of one of his 
friends, whose name he mentioned, was already in 
ashes, and that his own was in danger. At eight 
o'clock, after he had been out again, he returned 
crying out cheerfully, "Thank heaven! the fire is 
out, the third door from my house." 

The news of the occurrence excited the whole 
town, and the officials made inquiry regarding it, 
and Swedenborg was summoned before the gov- 
ernor, and requested to relate what he had seen, in 
detail. Answering the governor, he told when and 
where the fire had started; how it had begun; how, 
when and where it had stopped; and the time it 
lasted, the number of houses destroyed, people in- 
jured, etc. On the following Monday morning a 
courier arrived from Stockholm, bringing news of 
the fire, having left the town while it was still 
burning. On the next day after, Tuesday morning, 



64 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

another courier arrived at the governor's palace 
with a full report of the fire, which corresponded 
precisely with the vision of Swedenborg — the fire 
had stopped precisely at eight o'clock, the minute 
that Swedenborg had so announced it to the 
company. 

Stead relates the following instance of this class 
of Psychomancy, which was told him by the wife of 
a Dean of the Episcopal Church. The lady said: 
"I was staying in Virginia, some hundred miles 
away from home, when one morning about eleven 
o'clock, I felt an overpowering sleepiness, which 
drowsiness was quite unusual, and which caused 
me to lie down. In my sleep I saw quite distinctly 
my home in Richmond in flames. The fire had 
broken out in one wing of the house, which I saw 
with dismay was where I kept all my best dresses. 
The people were all trying to check the flames, but 
it was no use. My husband was there, walking 
about before the burning house, carrying a portrait 
in his hand. Everything was quite clear and dis- 
tinct, exactly as if I had actually been present and 
seen everything. After a time, I woke up, and 
going downstairs told my friends the strange dream 
I had had. They laughed at me, and made such 
game of my vision that I did my best to think no 
more about it. I was traveling about, a day or 
two passed, and when Sunday came I found myself 



SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 65 

in a church where some relatives were worshipping. 
When I entered the pew they looked rather strange, 
and as soon as the service was over I asked them 
what was the matter. 'Don't be alarmed,' they said, 
'there is nothing serious.' Then they handed me a 
postcard from my husband which simply said, 
'House burned out; covered by insurance.' The 
day was the date upon which my dream occurred. 
I hastened home, and then I learned that everything 
had happened exactly as I had seen it. The fire had 
broken out in the wing I had seen blazing. My 
clothes were all burnt, and the oddest thing about 
it was that my husband, having rescued a favorite 
picture from the burning building, had carried it 
about among the crowd for some time before he 
could find a place in which to put it safely." 

A well-authenticated case is that of the wreck of 
the ship "Strathmore." Stead relates the story as 
follows: "The father of a son who had sailed in 
the 'Strathmore/ an emigrant ship outbound from 
the Clyde, saw one night the ship foundering amid 
the waves, and saw that his son, with some others, 
had escaped safely to a desert island near which 
the wreck had taken place. He was so much im- 
pressed by this vision that he wrote to the owner 
of the 'Strathmore,' telling him what he had seen. 
His information was scouted; but after a while the 
'Strathmore' became overdue, and the owner became 



66 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

uneasy. Day followed day, and still no tidings of 
the missing ship. Then, like Pharaoh's butler, the 
owner remembered his sins one day, and hunted up 
the letter describing the vision. It supplied at least 
a theory to account for the vessel's disappearance. 
All outward-bound ships were requested to look out 
for any survivors on the island indicated in the 
vision. These orders being obeyed, the survivors 
of the 'Strathmore' were found exactly where the 
father had seen them." 

Another interesting case is reported by the So- 
ciety previously mentioned. It reports that Dr. 
Golinski, a physician of Kremeutchug, Russia, was 
taking an after-dinner nap in the afternoon, about 
half-past three o'clock. He had a vision in which 
he saw himself called out on a professional visit, 
which took him to a little room with dark hangings. 
To the right of the door he saw a chest of drawers, 
upon which rested a little paraffine lamp of special 
pattern, different from anything he had ever seen 
before. On the left of the door, he saw a woman 
suffering from a severe hemorrhage. He then saw 
himself giving her professional treatment. Then 
he awoke, suddenly, and saw that it was just half- 
past four o'clock. Then comes the strange sequel. 
Within ten minutes after he awoke, he was called 
out on a professional visit, and on entering the bed- 
room he saw all the details that had appeared to 



SPACE PSYCHOMANCY 67 

him in his vision. There was the chest of drawers 
— there was the pecular lamp — there was the woman 
on the bed suffering from the hemorrhage. Upon 
inquiry he found that she had grown worse between 
three and four o'clock, and had anxiously desired 
that he come to her about that time, finally dis- 
patching a messenger for him at half-past four, the 
moment at which he awoke. 

We could fill page after page with these inter- 
esting and well-authenticated instances, but our 
lack of space prevents. We have stated enough to 
illustrate the principle, and then, besides, many of 
our readers will know of many similar instances in 
the actual experience of themselves, relatives or 
friends. Volumes would not contain all the true 
stories of phenomena of this kind — and still people 
smile in a superior way at the mere suggestion of 
the phenomena. 



68 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

LESSON IX. 
PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY. 

aS WE have previously stated, "Time Psycho- 
mancy" is a term used to designate that 
phase of the phenomena in which one senses 
objects, events, persons, etc., in the records of the 
past; and also in which he senses the indications 
of the future— "the shadows of coming events." 

For convenience, we shall separate our considera- 
tion of the subject into two parts, viz.: (i) Past 
Time Psychomancy; and (2) Future Time Psycho- 
mancy. 

Past Time Psychomancy is that phase of the 
phenomena which enables one to use his Astral 
Vision to explore the records of the past, and we 
shall now proceed to examine. 

The first question that naturally arises in the 
minds of careful students, in connection with this 
phase of the phenomena, is, "How is the person 
able to sense the scenes, occurrences, and objects 
of the past? There are no vibrations emanating 
from past scenes, and as they no longer exist, how 
can anyone see them, by Astral Vision, or by any 
other means?" This question is a most proper one, 
for even those who readily grasp the explanation 



PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY 69 

of Space Psychomancy find themselves at a loss to 
understand the Past Time phenomena without a 
knowledge of the Occult Teachings on the subjects. 

THE AKASHIC RECORDS. 

The secret of Past Time Psychomancy is found 
in the Occult Teaching of the "Akashic Records," 
by which is meant that on the higher planes of 
Universal Substance, there are to be found records 
of all that has happened and occurred during the 
entire World Cycle of which the present time forms 
a part. These records are preserved until the ter- 
mination of the World Cycle, when they pass away 
with the World of which they are a record. This 
does not mean that there is any Great Book in 
which the doings, good and bad, of people are 
written down by the Recording Angel, as popular 
fanciful legends has it. But it does mean that there 
is a scientific occult basis for the popular legend, 
in spite of the sneers of the skeptics. We must 
turn to modern science for a corroboration. It is 
now taught by scientists that there is no such thing 
as a destruction of Energy, but that Energy always 
exists in some form. The Occult Teachings verify 
this, and go further, when they state that every 
action, thought, happening, event, occurrence, etc., 
no matter how small or insignificant, leaves an in- 
delible record on the Akasha (or Universal Ether) 



70 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

with which Space is filled. In other words, every 
action, or scene, that has ever occurred or existed 
in the past, has left an impression in the Universal 
Ether, or Akasha, where it may be read by developed 
Psychomancy. 

There is nothing especially wonderful about this, 
when you compare it with other facts in nature. As- 
tronomy teaches us that light travels at the rate of 
186,000 miles a second — and that there are fixed stars 
in space so far removed from the Earth that their 
light leaving them hundreds, yes, thousands, of years 
ago, is only now reaching our sight. In other words, 
when we look at some of the fixed stars, we do not 
see them as they now are, or where they now are, 
but merely see them where and how they were hun- 
dreds of years ago when the rays of light left them. 
Astronomers tell us that if one of these stars happen- 
ed to be blotted out of existence hundreds of years 
ago, we would be still seeing the light that left them 
before the event — in other words would be seeing 
them hundreds of years after they had ceased to be. 
And our children, and children's children, for several 
generations would still see them, and would not learn 
of the terrible catastrophe for hundreds of years after 
it actually happened. The vibrations of light once 
set into motion would persist for centuries, and even 
for thousands of years after their source had disap- 
peared. This is no wild occult fancy, but a well- 



PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY 71 

proven and thoroughly-established scientific fact, as 
any one may see for himself by reference to any work 
on astronomy. And the same is true of waves of 
electricity, or electronic emanations, or waves of any 
kind of energy. Really, even in the physical view of 
things, nothing can exist .without leaving a record in 
the Universal Ether. And so the Occult Teachings 
now find their corroboration in Modern Science. 

Another illustration is found in the phenomena of 
the Memory of Man. Stored away in our brain-cells 
are records of things, events, scenes, occurrences, 
people, and objects, registered there in past years. 
You often find yourself thinking about people, things 
and events of years long since passed away — and by 
a mere effort of the will you bring the records of 
these people, things, or events before your mental 
vision and see them reproduced in detail. Dissect a 
brain-cell and you will find no trace of the thing 
there — but nevertheless every exercise of memory 
proves that the record is there. And there is nothing 
more wonderful, or miraculous, in the Akashic Re- 
cords of Past Events, than there is in the Memory 
Record of Past Events! The Universal Ether, or 
Akasha, has within itself a true and full record of 
anything, and everything, that has ever existed with- 
in its space. And if one develops the power to read 
these records at will, he has a full and complete key 



72 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

to the past, from the speaking of the Creative Word 
which began this great World Cycle. 

But, in order to avoid a misapprehension, we must 
say to our students that none but the most advanced 
and highly-developed Occultists and Masters have 
clear access to the planes upon which these records 
are to be found. The majority of Psychomancers 
merely see on the "Lower Astral Plane" a reflection 
of the Akashic Records, which reflection may be 
compared to the reflection of the trees and landscape 
in a pond of water, which, of course, is often more 
or less imperfect — distorted and disturbed by the 
ripples and waves occasioned by the passing breezes, 
and sometimes being made muddy and clouded. 
The records of the Past, open to the average Psy- 
chomancer, are merely "reflections of records, " which 
are apt to be more or less distorted, or cloudy, by 
reason of the disturbances of the surface of the re- 
flecting medium. This is a brief and simple statement 
of an important Occult scientific truth, which would 
require volumes to explain technically. The illus- 
tration of the reflecting surface of the water, how- 
ever, is so true to the real facts that the student may 
confidently adopt the same as his mental image of 
the phenomena of Past Time Psychomancy. 

In actual practice we find the phenomena of Past 
Time Psychomancy manifested principally along the 
line of Psychometry and Crystal Gazing, the con- 



PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY 73 

sideration of which phases of phenomena has been 
made in previous lessons in this book. There are to 
be found, however, many instances of at least a par- 
tial manifestation of this phase of power among in- 
dividuals in every-day life, who when meeting a per- 
son frequently get impressions (more or less correct) 
of his or her past life, past scenes, etc. 

The German writer, Zschokke, in his autobio- 
graphy, writes as follows regarding this power of 
Past Time Psychomancy possessed by him, and 
which was often set into operation when he came into 
the presence of strangers for the first time. He 
states: "It has happened to me sometimes, on my 
first meeting with strangers, as I silently listened to 
their discourse, that their former life, with many 
trifling circumstances therewith connected, or fre- 
quently some particular scene in that life, has passed 
quite involuntarily, and, as it were, dream-like, yet 
perfectly distinct, before me. During this time I 
usually feel so entirely absorbed in the contemplation 
of the stranger's life, that at last I no longer see 
clearly the face of the unknown wherein I undesign- 
edly read, nor distinctly hear the voices of the speak- 
ers, which before served in some measure as a com- 
mentary on the text of their features. For a long 
time I held such visions as delusions of the fancy, 
and the more so as they showed me even the dress 



74 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

— —— ^ — Hi ii i 

and emotions of the actors, rooms, furniture, and 
other accessories, but I soon discovered otherwise." 

"On one occasion, in a gay mood, I narrated to my 
family the secret history of a seamstress who had 
just before quitted the room. I had never seen the 
young woman before. Nevertheless, the hearers 
were astonished and laughed, and would not be per- 
suaded but that I had a previous acquaintance with 
her and the facts of her former life, inasmuch as what 
I had stated was perfectly true. I was not the less 
astonished than they to find that my vision agreed 
with reality." 

"I then gave more attention to the subject, and as 
often as propriety allowed of it, I related to those 
whose lives had passed before me, the substance of 
my visions, in order to obtain from them a contra- 
diction or verification thereof. On every occasion the 
confirmation followed, not without amazement on 
the part of those who gave it." 

"One day, in the city of Waldshut, I entered an inn 
(the Vine) in company with two young students. 
We supped with a numerous company at the table 
d'hote, where the guests were making very merry 
with the peculiarities of the Swiss, with Mesmer's 
magnetism, Lavater's physiognomy, etc. One of 
my companions, whose national pride was wounded 
by their mockery, begged me to make some reply, 
particularly to a handsome young man who sat op- 



PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY 75 

posite to us, and who had allowed himself extraor- 
dinary license. This man's life was at that moment 
presented to my mind. I turned to him, and asked 
whether he would answer me candidly if I related to 
him some of the most secret passages of his life, I 
knowing as little of him personally as he did of me. 
He promised, if I were correct, to admit it frankly. 
I then related what my vision had shown me, and 
the whole company were made acquainted with the 
private history of the young merchant — his school 
years, his youthful errors, and, lastly, with a fault 
committed in reference to the strong-box of his prin- 
cipal. I described the uninhabited room with whit- 
ened walls, where, to the right of the brown door, 
on a table, stood a black money-box, etc. A dead 
silence prevailed during the whole narrative, which 
I alone occasionally interrupted by inquiring whether 
I spoke the truth. The startled young man con- 
firmed every particular, and even, what I had scarce- 
ly expected, the last mentioned. Touched by his can- 
dor, I shook hands with him, and said no more. He 
is, probably, still living." 



76 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

LESSON X. 
FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY. 



FUTURE Time Psychomancy," as the term it- 
self indicates, is the name given to that class 
.J of the phenomena in which one is able to 
sense the Astral Plane impression of coming events 
— the psychic shadows thrown before by coming 
events. In order to give the student a technical na- 
ture of the occult cause behind this phenomena would 
require volumes of the deepest metaphysical lore, 
which field is foreign to the purposes of this work 
which deals with phenomena alone, and does not 
enter into the metaphysical side of the subject. 

It will be sufficient for the student to understand 
that in the Astral as well as on the Physical Plane, 
"Coming Events cast their Shadows Before." With- 
out entering into a discussion of Destiny or Fate, or 
anything of that kind, it may be stated that when 
Causes are set into motion, the Effects follow, unless 
other Causes intervene. In some cases certain ef- 
fects have been averted by reason of the previous 
Vision— in such cases the other Causes intervened, 
which showed that the matter was not wholly "cut 
and dried." It is like a man walking toward a preci- 
pice — he will walk over unless he is warned in some 



FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY 77 

way. He is not "fated" to walk over but over he will 
go, unless warned and prevented. Do you see what 
we mean? 

On the other hand, there seem to be cases in which 
the person seems unable to escape the Effect of 
Causes once set into motion — he even seems to run 
into the effect, while seeking to escape it. In this 
connection the little fable of the Persians may be 
quoted. The story goes that a friend was with Solo- 
mon when the Angel of Death entered and gazed 
at him fixedly. Upon learning who the strange visi- 
tor was, the friend said to Solomon, "Pray transport 
me on thy magic carpet to Damascus, that I may 
escape this dread messenger." And Solomon com- 
plied with his request, and the man was instantly 
magically transported to Damascus. Then said the 
Angel of Death to Solomon: <f O Solomon, the rea- 
son that I gazed so intently at thy friend was be- 
cause I had orders from On High to take him from 
the body at Damascus, and lo! finding him here at 
Jerusalem, I was sore perplexed as to how to obey 
my orders. But, thou, by transporting him to Da- 
mascus hath rendered my task an easy one. Many 
thanks, for thy help at thy friend's suggestion, O 
King!" And saying which the Angel of Death was 
wafted away to Damascus to take the man, accord- 
ing to orders. 

The phenomena of Premonitions, Prevision, and 



78 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

Second Sight, are all forms or phases of Future Time 
Psychomancy. In these various forms the phenome- 
na is of quite common and frequent occurrence, and 
is met with all over the world. In the Isle of Skye 
many persons possess the gift of Second Sight in 
varying degree, but they claim that a native of the 
island loses the power when he moves to the main- 
land. In the same way the Scotch Highlander 
(among whose people the gift is quite common) is 
said to sometimes lose the faculty when he removes 
to the lowlands. The Westphalian peasants also are 
noted for the power of Second Sight. 

An instance of this phase of the phenomena, well 
known in England, is that connected with the assas- 
sination of Mr. Percival in the lobby of the House of 
Commons. This deed was foreseen by John Will- 
iams, a Cornish mine manager, some nine days before 
its actual occurrence, the vision being perfect down 
to the most minute details. Williams had the vision 
three times in succession. He saw a small man, 
dressed in a blue coat and white waistcoat, enter the 
lobby of the House of Commons, when another per- 
son, dressed in a snuff-colored coat, stepped forward 
and drawing a pistol from an inside pocket fired at 
and shot the little man, the bullet lodging in the left 
breast. He seemed to ask some bystander who was 
the victim, and he received the reply that it was Mr. 
Percival, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Will- 



FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY 79 

iams was so much wrought up over the vision, that 
he seriously contemplated going to London to warn 
the victim, but his friends, to whom he told the story, 
ridiculed him and persuaded him not to go on "a 
fool's errand." A few days later the news was re- 
ceived of the assassination of Mr. Percival, in pre- 
cisely the manner indicated by the vision. 

George Fox, the Quaker, experienced the impres- 
sion of "a waft of death" about Cromwell when he 
met him riding at Hampton Court, shortly before his 
fatal illness. Fox also foretold the expulsion of the 
"Rump Parliament;" the restoration of Charles II; 
and the Fire of London. Caesar's wife had a warn- 
ing of her husband's death. The Bible is filled with 
similar instances. 

We will conclude this lesson with a recital of the 
wonderful instance of Cazotte, whose prediction, and 
its literal fulfilment, are now matters of French his- 
tory. La Harpe tells the story as follows: 

"It appears but as yesterday, and yet, nevertheless, 
it was at the beginning of the year 1788. We were 
dining with one of our brethren at the Academy — a 
man of considerable wealth and genius. The con- 
versation became serious; much admiration was ex- 
pressed on the revolution in thought which Voltaire 
had effected, and it was agreed that it was his first 
claim to the reputation he enjoyed. We concluded 
that the revolution must soon be consummated ; that 



80 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

it was indispensable that superstition and fanaticism 
should give place to philosophy, and we began to 
calculate the probability of the period when this 
should be, and which of the present company should 
live to see it. The oldest complained that they could 
scarcely flatter themselves with the hope ; the young- 
er rejoiced that they might entertain this very prob- 
able expectation; and they congratulated the Acad- 
emy especially for having prepared this great work, 
and for having been the great rallying point, the cen- 
tre, and the prime mover of the liberty of thought. 

"One only of the guests had not taken part in all 
the joyousness of this conversation, and had even 
gently and cheerfully checked our splendid enthu- 
siasm. This was Cazotte, an amiable and original 
man, but unhappily infatuated with the reveries of 
the illuminati. He spoke, and with the most serious 
tone. 'Gentlemen,' said he, 'be satisfied ; you will all 
see this great and sublime revolution, which you so 
much desire. You know that I am a little inclined 
to prophesy; I repeat, you will see it.' He was an- 
swered by the common rejoinder: 'One need not be 
a conjuror to see that.' 'Be it so; but perhaps one 
must be a little more than conjuror for what remains 
for me to tell you. Do you know what will be the 
consequence of this revolution — what will be the 
consequence to all of you, and what will be the im- 
mediate result — the well-established effect — the thor- 



FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY 81 

oughly-recognized consequence to all of you who are 
here present?' 'Ah!' said Condorcet, with his inso- 
lent and half-suppressed smile, 'let us hear — a phi- 
losopher is not sorry to encounter a prophet.' 'You, 
Monsieur de Condorcet — you will yield up your last 
breath on the floor of a dungeon; you will die from 
poison, which you will have taken, in order to escape 
from execution — from poison which the happiness of 
that time will oblige you to carry about your person.' 

" 'Monsieur de Chamfort, you will open your veins 
with twenty-two cuts of a razor, and yet you will not 
die till some months afterward.' They looked at each 
other, and laughed again. 'You, Monsieur Vicq 
d'Azir, you will not open your own veins, but you 
will cause yourself to be bled six times in one day, 
during a paroxysm of the gout, in order to make 
more sure of your end, and you will die in the night. 
You, Monsieur de Nicolai, you will die upon the scaf- 
fold; you, Monsieur Bailly, on the scaffold; you, 
Monsieur de Malesherbes, on the scaffold.' 'Ah! 
God be thanked,' exclaimed Roucher, 'and what of 
I?' 'You ! you also will die upon the scaffold.' 'Yes/ 
replied Chamfort, 'but when will all this happen?' 
'Six years will not pass over, before all that I have 
said to you shall be accomplished.' 

'"Here are some astonishing miracles (and, this 
time, it was I myself (La Harpe) who spoke), but 
you have not included me in your list.' 'But you will 



82 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 



be there, as an equally extraordinary miracle; you 
will then be a Christian.' Vehement exclamations on 
all sides. 'Ah/ replied Chamf ort, 'I am comforted ; if 
we shall perish only when La Harpe shall be a Chris- 
tian, we are immortal.' 

" ' As for that,' then observed Madame la Duchesse 
de Grammont, 'we women, we are happy to be count- 
ed for nothing in these revolutions: when I say for 
nothing, it is not that we do not always mix our- 
selves up with them a little; but it is a received 
maxim that they take no notice of us, and of our 
sex.' 'Your sex, ladies, will not protect you this 
time; and you had far better meddle with nothing, 
for you will be treated entirely as men, without any 
difference whatever.' 'But what, then, are you really 
telling us of, Monsieur Cazotte? You are preaching 
to us the end of the world.' 'I know nothing on this 
subject ; but what I do know is, that you, Madame la 
Duchesse, will be conducted to the scaffold, you and 
many other ladies with you, in the cart of the execu- 
tioner, and with your hands tied behind your backs.' 
'Ah ! I hope that, in that case, I shall at least have a 
carriage hung in black.' 'No, madame ; higher ladies 
than yourself will go, like you, in the common car, 
with their hands tied behind them.' 'Higher ladies! 
what! the princesses of the blood?' 'Still more ex- 
alted personages.' Here a sensible emotion pervaded 
the whole company, and the countenance of the host 



FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY 83 



was dark and lowering; they began to feel that the 
joke was become too serious. 

"Madame de Grammont, in order to dissipate the 
cloud, took no notice of the reply, and contented her- 
self with saying in a careless tone : * You see that he 
will not leave me even a confessor!' 'No, madame, 
you will not have one — neither you, nor any one be- 
sides. The last victim to whom this favor will be 

afforded will be ' He stopped for a moment. 

'Well! who then will be the happy mortal to whom 
this prerogative will be given?' ' Tis the only one 
which he will have then retained — and that will be 
the king of France.' " 

The amazing sequel to this historical prediction is 
that it was verified in every detail , as all students of 
the French Revolution know — and all within the six 
years, as Cazotte foretold. 



84 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

LESSON XI. 
DREAM PSYCHOMANCY. 

mHE student will have noted that in many cases 
mentioned in these lessons, the Psychoman- 
tic vision manifested during physical sleep. 
The reason of this occurrence is that in the majority 
of persons the physical nature, when awake, holds 
the attention of the individual to such an extent as 
to prevent him from manifesting the psychic facul- 
ties clearly. But when the physical body sinks into 
sleep then the field is clear for the exercise of the 
Astral Senses, which not being fatigued, are in fine 
condition to manifest. In fact the majority of per- 
sons do manifest Psychomancy during sleep, but 
have little or no recollection of the same when wak- 
ing, beyond indistinct recollections of "dreams," etc. 
Still, many of you who read these lines will have a 
more or less clear remembrance of certain "dreams" 
in which you seemed to visit other places, scenes, 
lands, countries, etc., seeing strange faces, land- 
scapes, etc., and upon awakening were somewhat an- 
noyed at having been brought back from your pleas- 
ant travels. 

It is not our intention to enter into an extended 
consideration of the general subject of Dreams, at 



DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 85 

this time and place. We write these few lines merely 
for the purpose of calling your attention to the fact 
that the phenomena of Psychomancy very frequently 
manifests itself in Dreams, for the reasons stated 
above. The principle in both the waking and dream 
phenomena is precisely the same, the apparent differ- 
ence being that the dreamer very seldom carries back 
with him a clear and connected memory of his vision, 
while the waking person is able to impress his Astral 
vision upon a wide-awake physical brain, there to be 
remembered. 

You will find several instances of Dream Psy- 
chomancy recorded in the various lessons of this 
work, inserted for the purpose of illustrating the 
several phases of the phenomena. In such cases we 
have made no distinction between the Psychomantic 
phenomena experienced in dreams on the one hand, 
and that experienced in the waking state on the 
other hand. The principle is the same in both cases, 
and there is no necessity for making any such dis- 
tinction between the phenomena occurring under 
any of the several general classes. But as we still 
have to spare a few pages of the space allotted to us 
in the preparation of these lessons, we think that 
we should give you a few more of the many inter- 
esting cases of record. 

A well-known and interesting case is that men- 



86 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

tioned in the Proceedings of the Psychical Research 
Society, of London. It is related as follows: 

On September gth, 1848, at the siege of Mooltan, 
Major-General R. was most severely and dangerous- 
ly wounded; and, supposing himself to be dying, 
asked one of the officers with him to take the ring 
off his finger and send it to his wife, who at the 
time was fully 150 miles distant at Ferozepore. 

"On the night of September gth, 1848," writes his 
wife, "I was lying on my bed, between sleeping and 
waking, when I distinctly saw my husband being 
carried off the field seriously wounded, and heard his 
voice, saying, 'Take this ring off my finger and send 
it to my wife.' All the next day I could not get 
the sight or the voice out of my mind. In due time 
I heard of General R. having been seriously 
wounded in the assault of Mooltan. He survived, 
however, and is still living. It was not for some 
time after the siege that I heard from General L.„ 
the officer who helped to carry my husband off the 
field, that the request as to the ring was actually 
made by him, just as I heard it at Ferozepore at 
that very time." 

The following, related by Mrs. Crowe, is inter- 
esting, particularly in its aspect as a warning: 

"A few years ago, Dr. Watson, now residing at 
Glasgow, dreamt that he received a summons to at- 
tend a patient at a place some miles from where he 
was living ; that he started on horseback, and that 
as he was crossing a moor, he saw a bull making 
furiously at him, whose horns he escaped only by 



DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 87 

taking refuge on a spot inaccessible to the animal, 
where he waited a long time till some people, ob- 
serving his situation, came to his assistance and re- 
leased him. While at breakfast the following morn- 
ing the summons came, and smiling at the odd co- 
incidence (as he thought it), he started on horse- 
back. He was quite ignorant of the road he had to 
go, but by and by he arrived at the moor, which he 
recognized, and presently the bull appeared, com- 
ing full tilt towards him. But his dream had shown 
him the place of refuge, for which he instantly 
made, and there he spent three or four hours be- 
sieged by the animal, till the country people set him 
free. Dr. Watson declared that but for the dream 
he should not have known in what direction to run 
for safety." 

This case is an instance of Future Time Psycho- 
mancy, as the student will readily see. Here is 
another case coming under the same classification. 
It is related by Dr. Lee: 

Mrs. Hannah Green, the housekeeper of a country 
family in Oxfordshire, dreamt one night that she 
had been left alone in the house on a Sunday even- 
ing, and that hearing a knock at the door of the 
chief entrance, she went to it and found confronting 
her an ugly tramp, armed with a big club, who 
forced himself into the house in spite of her strug- 
gles, striking her insensible with his club during the 
conflict. She awoke at this point. A considerable 
period of time elapsed, and she had almost forgotten 



88 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

her dream until it was recalled in a startling man- 
ner. She was then in charge of an isolated mansion 
at Kensington, and on a Sunday afternoon, when 
the servants had taken a holiday, leaving her alone, 
she was startled by a loud knock at the door. At 
once the memory of her dream flashed before her, 
with singular vividness and remarkable force. She 
knew that she was alone, but for the purpose of 
frightening away the intruder she lighted a lamp 
on the hall table, and afterward in other places in 
the house, and also rang the bells violently in dif- 
ferent parts of the house. She also made sure that 
the doors and windows were fastened. She suc- 
ceeded in scaring off the man, by making him believe 
that the house was occupied by the family, or sev- 
eral people at least, but not until she had thrown 
up the window over the stair landing, and there to 
her intense terror saw the identical man of her 
dream, armed with the same club, and demanding 
an entrance. Had she not been warned by the dream 
of several years previous, she would have met with 
a fate such as she had dreamed of. 

The following case of Dream Psychomancy, 
which is a good example of Astral Projection 
during sleep, is related by a correspondent of the 
Psychical Research Society, as follows : 

"One morning in December, 1836, he had the fol- 
lowing dream, or, he would prefer to call it, revela- 



DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 89 

tion. He found himself suddenly at the gate of 
Major N. M.'s avenue, many miles from his home. 
Close to him was a group of persons, one of whom 
was a woman with a basket on her arm, the rest 
men, four of whom were tenants of his own, while 
the others were unknown to him. Some of the stran- 
gers seemed to be assaulting H. W., one of his ten- 
ants, and he interfered. 'I struck violently at the 
man on my left, and then with greater violence at the 
man's face on my right. Finding, to my surprise, 
that I had not knocked down either, I struck again 
and again with all the violence of a man frenzied at 
the sight of my poor friend's murder. To my great 
amazement I saw my arms, although visible to my 
eye, were without substance, and the bodies of the 
men I struck at and my own came close together 
after each blow through the shadowy arms I struck 
with. My blows were delivered with more extreme 
violence than I ever think I exerted, but I became 
painfully convinced of my incompetency. I have no 
consciousness of what happened after this feeling of 
unsubstantiality came upon me.' Next morning A. 
experienced the stiffness and soreness of violent 
bodily exercise, and was informed by his wife that 
in the course of the night he had much alarmed her 
by striking out again and again with his arms in a 
terrific manner, 'as if figthting for his life.' He, in 
turn, informed her of his dream, and begged her to 
remember the names of those actors in it who were 
known to him. On the morning of the following 
day (Wednesday) A. received a letter from his 
agent, who resided in the town close to the scene 
of the dream, informing him that his tenant had 



90 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

been found on Tuesday morning at Major N. M.'s 
gate, speechless and apparently dying from a frac- 
ture of the skull, and that there was no trace of the 
murderers. That night A. started for the town, and 
arrived there on Thursday morning. On his way 
to a meeting of magistrates he met the senior magis- 
trate of that part of the country, and requested him 
to give orders for the arrest of the three men whom, 
besides H. W., he had recognized in his dream, and 
to have them examined separately. This was at once 
done. The three men gave identical accounts of the 
occurrence, and all named the woman who was with 
them. She was then arrested, and gave precisely 
similar testimony. They said that between eleven 
and twelve on the Monday night they had been 
walking homewards altogether along the road, when 
they were overtaken by three strangers, two of whom 
savagely assaulted H. W., while the other prevented 
his friends from interfering. H. W. did not die, but 
was never the same man afterwards; he subse- 
quently emigrated." 

Stead relates the following case, which was im- 
parted to him as a truthful and correct account of 
the vision of a murder seen in all of its details by 
a brother of the murdered man. It is a case of 
Astral Projection, undoubtedly: 

"St. Eglos is situated about ten miles from the 
Atlantic, and not quite so far from the old market 
town of Trebodwina. Hart and George Northey 
were brothers, and from childhood their lives had 
been marked by the strongest brotherly affection. 
Hart and George Northey had never been separated 



DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 91 

from their birth until George became a sailor, Hart 
meantime joining his father in business. On the 
8th of February, 1840, while George Northey's ship 
was lying in port at St. Helena, he had the follow- 
ing strange dream: 

" 'Last night I dreamt my brother was at Trebod- 
wina Market, and that I was with him, quite close 
ty his side, during the whole of the market trans- 
actions. Although I could see and hear everything 
which passed around me, I felt sure that it was not 
my bodily presence which thus accompanied him, 
but my shadow, or rather my spiritual presence, 
for he seemed quite unconscious that I was near 
him. I felt that my being thus present in this 
strange way betokened some hidden danger which 
he was destined to meet, and which I knew my pres- 
ence could not avert, for I could not speak to warn 
him of his peril.' " 

The brother having collected considerable money 
then started on his ride homeward. The story then 
continues : 

" 'My terror gradually increased as Hart ap- 
proached the hamlet of Polkerrow, until I was in a 
perfect frenzy, frantically desirous, yet unable, to 
warn my brother in some way and prevent him 
going further. I suddenly became aware of two dark 
shadows thrown across the road. I felt my brother's 
hour had come, and I was powerless to aid him! 
Two men appeared, whom I instantly recognized as 
notorious poachers, who lived in a lonely wood near 
St. Eglos. The men wished him "Good-night," 
maister," civilly enough. He replied, and entered 



92 PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY 

into conversation with them about some work he 
had promised them. After a few minutes they asked 
him for some money. The elder of the two brothers, 
who was standing near the horse's head, said, "Mr. 
Northey, we know you have just come from Trebod- 
wina market with plenty of money in your pockets ; 
we are desperate men, and you bean't going to leave 
this place until we've got that money, so hand over." 
My brother made no reply, except to slash at him 
with the whip and spur the horse at him. 

" 'The younger of the ruffians instantly drew a 
pistol and fired. Hart dropped lifeless from the 
saddle, and one of the villains held him by the throat 
with a grip of iron for some minutes, as though 
to make assurance doubly sure, and crush out any 
particle of life my poor brother might have left. 
The murderers secured the horse to a tree in the 
orchard, and, having rifled the corpse, they dragged 
it up the stream, concealing it under the overhanging 
banks of the water-course. They then carefully 
covered over all marks of blood on the road, and 
hid the pistol in the thatch of a disused hut close 
to the roadside ; then, setting the horse free to gallop 
home alone, they decamped across the country to 
their own cottage.' 

"The vessel left St. Helena next day, and reached 
Plymouth in due course. George Northey had, 
during the whole of the voyage home, never altered 
his conviction that Hart had been killed as he had 
dreamt, and that retribution was by his means to 
fall on the murderers." 

The sequel shows that the murder was actually 
committed in precisely the manner in which it had 



DREAM PSYCHOMANCY 93 

appeared to the brother in the dream. The crime 
aroused universal horror and indignation, and every 
effort was made to discover the murderers and bring 
them to justice. Two brothers named Hightwood 
were suspected, and a search of their cottage re- 
vealed blood-stained garments, but no trace of the 
pistol was to be found, although the younger brother 
admitted having had one and lost it. The story con- 
tinues : 

"Both brothers were arrested and brought before 
the magistrates. The evidence against them was 
certainly not strong, but their manner seemed that 
of guilty men. They were ordered to take their trial 
at the forthcoming assizes at Trebodwina. They 
each confessed in the hope of saving their lives, and 
both were sentenced to be hanged. There was, how- 
ever, some doubt about the pistol. Before the execu- 
tion George Northey arrived from St. Helena, and 
declared that the pistol was in the thatch of the old 
cottage close by the place where they murdered 
Hart Northey, and where they hid it. 'How did you 
know?' he was asked. George Northey replied: T 
saw the foul deed committed in a dream I had the 
night of the murder, when at St. Helena/ A pistol 
was found, as George Northey had predicted, in the 
thatch of the ruined cottage." 

We trust that we have established the identity of 
Waking Psychomancy, and Dream Psychomancy, to 
your satisfaction. 

FINIS. 



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